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Restaurants in Sentosa are aplenty, but many choose to avoid the travel into this offshore location that’s brimming with resorts. Native Kitchen in newly-opened Village Hotel at Sentosa is delighting diners with a menu that’s influenced by island life from both the tropics and Polynesian region. Perhaps now, there may be reason enough for you to make your way over.

I was immediately taken in by the vastness of the dining area, especially given that their ceiling-to-floor windows allow floods of daylight to illuminate the pale wooden furniture.

In the early morning, the same space serves as the hotel’s buffet breakfast area, which really surprised me. The tables weren’t packed together like most other breakfast buffet settings I’d witnessed before.

I really appreciated the personal space diners were given, when Native Kitchen could’ve easily chosen to squeeze as many tables as possible in this large dining hall.

The best way to start off lunch was with their Watermelon & Feta Salad (S$14). This was littered with red onions, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, lime sorbet, and chia seeds atop large cubes of watermelon and dollops of feta.

I’m always surprised that watermelon and feta marry so well, but even more so in this winning combination as the lime sorbet lent a nice zing to this refreshing starter.

Should you be coming here in a group, the Appetizer Platter (S$28) will sufficiently feed a table of four people. It comes with Fried Calamari, Sticky Island Wings, Island Ceviche, and Coconut Shrimps. Coincidentally, you can also opt to order each dish individually if you don’t fancy an entire platter.

Out of all the various appetisers, my least favourite was the Coconut Shrimps. The combination failed to impress, and the shrimp encased in coconut flakes turned out rather dry and bland.

On the flip side, the best was the Island Ceviche. I adore ceviche, especially given our humidity. This one was a mix of barramundi, cucumber, carrot, lime juice, coconut milk, and ginger. The barramundi’s natural sweetness still managed to stand out, while the lime juice and ginger served as an aromatic complement to the dish.

Another platter that’s ideal for larger groups at Native Kitchen is the Meat Platter (S$118). Just like the Appetizer Platter, each dish here can also be ordered as an a la carte option. The carnivores will definitely be impatient to sink their teeth into Short Ribs, Striploin Steak, Jumbo Satay Skewers, and Pork Shoulder.

To be frank, only one dish stood out for me and that was the Short Ribs. Fork-tender and amazingly tasty, the beef tore apart with a simple stab of my fork. I didn’t feel like it needed any condiments or sauces, and it was the only thing on the platter that I went in for seconds.

However, if you need a break from heavy meat, then you must try the Steamed Barramundi (S$34). Steamed fish would typically imply a boring and bland dish, but it is this simplicity that works in its favour here.

The fish truly shone, all thanks to its impeccable freshness while the accompaniment of yellow squash,
purple potato mash, and coriander-chilli pesto on the side. Safe to say, I much preferred the fish dish over the Meat Platter, hands down.

Now before this dish was served, there was so much hype around the table about how many have raved about it. However, when the Bebek Goreng (S$25) finally arrived, I was disappointed to find that the only memorable aspect of the dish was the fried tempeh.

The bebek (duck) itself was succulent, but it didn’t sweep me off my feet like I was told it would. Also, I was told the sambal was one of the best, and it barely made an impression on me. Meh.

The worst part was that the rice was dry and gritty, a factor that most certainly made me not want to consume any more than a quarter of it.

On the menu, their Burnt Banana Crumble (S$13) is recommended for sharing, but upon seeing its actual size in person, I was confident I could take it down on my own any day.

It was incredibly delectable with caramelised banana, butter cake, and vanilla ice cream. I actually managed to convince the table to let me have dibs on the last remaining morsel on the plate.

Although nothing to shout about, the Hula Pie (S$20) is great for sharing. It consists of vanilla and chocolate ice cream, crushed macadamia nuts, oreo cookie base, whipped cream, and chocolate topping.

In spite of being seated indoors, the ice cream slab didn’t manage to stand upright for very long. I would advise you to devour this quickly before it melts down into a warm ice cream puddle.

Given the location, I understand the apprehension of coming to dine at Native Kitchen. But if you’re looking for an ambience that’s brimming with light and open space, it’s one place that I would recommend.

Sure, there were hits and misses on the menu, but if you stick to the fish dishes, I reckon you’ll thoroughly enjoy yourself.